Today's Daydream...

Pura Besakih in Bali, Indonesia.

photo credit: world wonders

My Hong Kong Top 10 To Dos ! #2

A way to experience the spectacular skylines of Hong Kong is from the Victoria Peak (The Peak). The Peak offers a 360 degrees paranomic view of Hong Kong Island, Kowloon, the hills of North Territories as well as the Lamma island. 

The part i like about the Victoria Peak is the ride up via the Peak Tram, which pulls visitors up a steep hill in under ten minutes. 
(***As the queue for the tram is usually long, tickets purchased in advance gives a quicker access to take the ride. We bought ours at the airport which offered us a bundled discount for a few tourist attractions as well.)

While it does, the Tram's climb up offers us a gradually growing bird's eye view of the city. 

With less people in the viewing lookout, it can surely be quite a romantic backdrop for lovers.

It can get quite cold especially during nights with strong winds, so do remember to layer up before visiting.

I enjoyed the view so much that i will definitely be back again!!

In the meantime, if you are into wax figurines of famous personalities, photo opportunities await a Madame Tussaud's at the Peak Tower as well.

TBC…

Read My Hong Kong Top 10 To Dos ! #1

Pics taken with a Panasonic Lumix camera and Samsung Note 2

My Hong Kong Top 10 To Dos ! #1

#1: Wong Tai Sin Temple 

In the shadows of gleaming glass and steel skyscrapers, thrive temples heavily laden with thick incense smoke. 

Beyond all that outward modernisation, Hong Kong is still deep seated in its cultural roots. Religion being one still widely practised by the locals. The Wong Tai Sin temple is a popular one with the locals renowned for having devotees' prayers answered. 

My first visit to the temple and I was way too curious. I had to have my fortune told. Having used one of the fortune tossing tool, with a question in mind, I started jossing the container with sticks. Fairly quickly, a stick fell out of the bundle, that very stick is the clue to my fortune (or even future) ! We adjourned to the adjacent building where fortune tellers lined the passageway in small shops awaiting eager fortune seekers. I never really took much to such fortune tellers being a believer that one creates his own destiny. However, the reading was insightful for a mere HK $25. Worth a try for a fortune telling experience !

Read My Hong Kong Top 10 To Dos ! # 2

Pics taken with a Panasonic Lumix and Samsung Galaxy Note 2 Camera

HK Winter 13

had 1 of the best winter holidays in Hong Kong this year…

Picture taken from the Peak.

Pic taken with a Panasonic Lumix Camera

Macau Visuals (Part 1)

Macau in Autumn. 

A typical street with a European x Chinese flavour.

The cathedral in the heart of the city... 

European influence is evident.

The icon of Macau...

TBC...

pics taken with a Panasonic Lumix camera

Today's Daydream...

Gawdawpalin Temple, Myanmar

source: unknown

Batam's best kept "secret" (Part 2)

Click here to read Batam's best kept "secret" (Part 1)

The 5 things i really like about Tempat Senang:

5. The warmth and hospitality

Being a petite little resort with only 13 rooms, we felt very much at home being there. We were always greeted with genuine warm smiles wherever we walked to in the resort. The resort had a personalized touch i liked very much, asking their guests what time they would like their meals etc. The service was quite impeccable. Furthermore, I liked that the pool table was available for use at no additional cost unlike most places where every activity becomes a cash milking opportunity.

The cosy family area... 

We played day and night...

Playing pool was like a walk down memory lane for me.

4. Natural Products

The resort was big on all things natural which the spa used. We didn't opt for the spa this time round due to our limited time there but we did try out their natural scrubs. They apparently make all the products themselves from natural materials. 

I like the smell and texture of most of them!

In particular, i love the Virgin Coconut Oil which i now consume on a daily basis. I am actually not a fan of coconut, but the taste of this is just heavenly! Brings coconut to a whole new level.

There are also many benefits of Virgin Coconut Oil for one's wellness. I also like the fact that it has no preservatives added. 

3. Food

The only restaurant in the resort also serves up authentic Indonesian dishes which i particularly love! One of the better Indonesian food i've tasted!

Everything is just right, not too oily, the flavorings were also not overbearing.

Our lunch..

The Gado Gado is the best ! I love their peanut sauce! Gawd! Major craving!! A must try!

Dinner...

And breakfast!

Seriously, even their Milo drink tastes better.

I think the staff are really well trained and most looked genuinely happy working there, which translated into lots of positivity and pride in the way they serve. 

Fruits prepared with pride...

Opted for the Asian dishes for breakfast.

We tried the apple crumble for dessert too, and it had a very home made feel and taste to it. 

Everything on the menu is worth trying!

2. The rooms

 The unique thing about the resort is that all the rooms have a different theme to them, each offering guests a different experience.

We booked a deluxe room and we were given the Timor Room, which we were very happy with!

I love this mirror! Would love to get one too for my home!

Love this lamp too!

The decor and furniture are very well thought out and displayed. 

The bathroom also had a jacuzzi and that completed it all!

The other room i really like is the Harlem Room!

It has a Moroccan theme to it! Perfect for partying up with girlfriends!

The other really interesting room is the Tree House room.

Love the idea of the suspended bed. I asked the lady if it was safe and she said it can hold the weight of a Mini Cooper! Pretty cool stuff!

And a magical tree growing right up through the roof! Awesome!

The room which has a really Javanese feel to it is located in a house made entirely of wood.

I love the rustic look and smell of it!

Another room inside the Javanese standalone house.

Most of the rooms had a romantic feel to them as the resort mainly caters to couples who want some quiet time out.

The Indian Room.

There are a few other rooms with different themes as well but these are some of my personal favorites.

1. Salt Pool

Yes, the salt pool made it to the top of my list of what i really liked about Tempat Senang. 

I really love that the resort focused on the holistic well being aspect that we were seeking for during our getaway to re-energize ourselves.

One thing for sure, we will definitely be back again....

:-)